Tesla/J1772 adapter available from Tesla's website

[TEG]

Any make of high performance car has a contingent of enthusiasts who try to understand (and tweak) the inner workings.
Being a low volume auto, and mostly proprietary, I think the Roadster has less poking around and modifying than many other cars.
Heck, the only german "tuner" to really touch it, Brabus, just did cosmetic modifications.

No aftermarket longer range packs... No performance upgrade 'chips'.

 

[TEG]

Could it be Roadster owners expect more from Tesla because you guys found a window to look inside to the heart of the car? Is there any car out there that is so accessible? .

It doesn't seem to me that the log monitoring has caused more demands on Tesla. To the contrary it seems like it helped answer some nagging questions, and so people didn't have to keep asking Tesla those questions.

 

[S-2000 Roadster]

In his words, "If Lexus gives you free cookies and sodas while you wait for your car we want to give you smoothies and imported chocolates".

I really hope that Matt Farrell's attitude is more tuned in to reality. I have plenty of cookie, soda, smoothie, and imported chocolate options within walking distance of the Seattle Testa Store. The key thing is that I can afford my own food treats - it's the Tesla Roadster service that cannot be purchased anywhere else at any price. I really hope that Farrell focuses on improving actual service and not just making the service department into a fatten-em-up-and-kick-em-out-happy factory.

That said, I actually have no complaints with the Seattle Tesla Store service. They fix the things that can be fixed. The Alpine still has its flaws, but that's not really something a Tesla tech can fix. There's clearly room for improvement to meet the needs of all the Seattle-area customers that need service, but I don't think chocolate smoothies are what led to the complaints.

 

[dj905]

I just received my J1772 adapter last week, and have tried out a couple of different Chargepoint network charging stations at Toronto-Sheraton and Waterloo-Conestoga Mall. In both cases, my first attempt caused a GFCI failure. On the second or third attempt, the charger worked fine, and charged for as long as I wanted. Is there a specific connection method that I should be using (e.g. should I plug the adapter into the car before I connect the J1772 end)? Has anyone else seen intermittent issues with the adapter?

Thanks,
David

 

[smorgasbord]

Is there a specific connection method that I should be using?

Yes: Use the Tesla connector at the car to make/break the connection. Thus:

To setup: Attach the adapter to the charge unit, then use the Tesla end to connect to the car.

To breakdown: Disconnect the Tesla end from the car, then remove the adapter from the charge unit cable.

One way to remember this is that the adapter cable converts the cable.

 

[vfx]

I really hope that Matt Farrell's attitude is more tuned in to reality.... but I don't think chocolate smoothies are what led to the complaints.

The food is simply a (sample) metaphor for upscale service.

 

[markwj]

The food is simply a (sample) metaphor for upscale service.

Are you sure? I was really looking forward to the smoothies :biggrin:

 

[vfx]

Are you sure? I was really looking forward to the smoothies :biggrin:

Well my car runs smoothie...

 

[bonnie]

I'm so voting for the smoothies. Dark chocolate truffles. None of that milk chocolate stuff. A neck massage would be good, too. (In case he's reading.)

 

[PaulM]

About the Passat... didn't think there would be any interest...

OK, you left us hanging..... What was wrong with it? Fuel filter?

I found someone with a VAG-COM (interface between OBDII port and laptop) and the first hint was an error "inconsistent manifold pressure reading" although the engine light wasn't on. While driving we were able to observe the intake manifold pressure the computer "saw" and it was fixed at a little over atmospheric which made no sense (it should go up and down, especially when the turbo kicks in). There's a small hose that goes from the intake manifold to a sensor in the computer. I checked all the connections and they were all fine. I then took the computer out of the car and checked the brass fitting on the computer... it was blocked. Strangely enough I had to drill it through!!!

When accelerating, the computer asks for X amount of boost from the turbo and when it doesn't see the correct amount of pressure, after a few seconds, it cuts the turbo figuring something is wrong. The engine continues to run but without the help of the turbo.

Since this couldn't have been that way since the car was new, I had a look at the printout I got from the dealer, and right there in black and white, only a few thousand KMs before the previous owner complained, the computer was replaced as part of a recall.

How two dealers couldn't figure it out is beyond me!

 

[bonnie]

About the Passat... didn't think there would be any interest...

You didn't think there'd be any interest?? Are you new here?

 

[dhrivnak]

Getting back to the intial thread I just had my Tesla 1.5 serviced and with the new firmware the car now charges at the Nissan Aero chargers now available at MANY Nissan dealers. I have now charged at Columb, Eaton and Aero J1772 chargers successfully.

 

[dwegmull]

I have successfully charged my 2.0 Roadster (with up to date firmware) using a Blink residential evse.

 

[tomsax]

I'm a very patient and understanding guy, I have a tech background and understand early product issues, I've founded and worked in startups and understand financial pressures, and I've been a HUGE Tesla proponent (over and above being a huge EV proponent). I have a bunch of small niggly little issues that I have never even mentioned to service just because I know they're busy. To make me mad, they have to really screw up.

Something about that paragraph seems vaguely familiar, like it's something I could have written myself a while back.

At least they didn't cancel your Model S order.

 

[tomsax]

All 3 service employees worked on my car yesterday for a minor repair. They've always had 3 in service, although there was a brief period last month where they only had 2.

That's not true. Carl was a one-man service center working out of his own facility starting in early 2009. A second service tech was added later that year after the official Tesla store opened. It was only recently, less than a year ago, that there was a third service person added.

When my car was new, I came in every day with questions and nits to pick. I saw the service staff twiddling their thumbs, and I was even told that they had nothing to do and wanted me to come in for any reason. You (Chad) mentioned that you had tons of problems and never complained about any of them, but my impression is that you could have had them all fixed by now. Granted, I can bring in my laptop and get my work done while hanging out at the Tesla Store, and maybe you can't take time away from work, but that's the same story with a ICE service department.

Chad's problem had nothing to do with the number of service employees in Seattle or the amount of free time they have between surges in service jobs. Chad's problem was all about lack of support from corporate. Carl wanted to work on Chad's car, but could not. This happens a lot. There are a number of problems that Carl has solved despite a complete lack of support from corporate. Unfortunately, Chad's problem required support from corporate.

And just for the record, the Seattle service guys work their asses off. Carl is finally taking his first vacation since starting with Tesla in early 2009. While the shop may be empty from time to time, there are plenty of times when there are so many cars in there being worked on that it's hard to walk through the shop. The Seattle crew services customers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia and Alaska. Carl often works seven days a week and flies into Idaho desert or sub-arctic Alaska on a moment's notice. There are times when there are cars in the shop waiting for service while the service techs are making house calls throughout the northwest US and western Canada. Lulls in work at the shop give them time to catch up on paperwork.

 

[doug]

Discussion about Lloyd's DIY TS-70 to J1772 conversion went here.

 

[ViperDoc]

I have tried using a J1772 adapter to charge at 2 different Coulomb stations and 1 Nissan station, all to no avail when it fails with a ground fault. More than a little frustrating. I am hoping they will look at my PEM when I have my annual service done later this month.

 

[tomsax]

I have tried using a J1772 adapter to charge at 2 different Coulomb stations and 1 Nissan station, all to no avail when it fails with a ground fault. More than a little frustrating. I am hoping they will look at my PEM when I have my annual service done later this month.

I'll bet you have a 2.x Roadster. The 2.x Roadster has a higher ground current pull at the beginning of a charge which can trip some hair-trigger charging stations. (SemaConnect, for example, possibly also Schneider and OpConnect.)

Amazingly, stations can choose to fault at either 5 mA or 20 mA. Both levels are quite safe, but the 5 mA limit is incompatible with the 2.x Roadsters. Clipper Creek, Blink, ChargePoint, and AeroVironment use the 20 mA threshold and are generally compatible with all Roadsters.

A few 2.x Roadster have exceptional issues with ground faults. Tesla has been reluctant to fix this problem, or even acknowledge it. Chad had a big problem and was getting blown off until he went public with the total lack of response from Tesla and cancelled his Model S order because of their complete disregard for customer service. Tesla can fix this problem by replacing your PEM, but you may have to push pretty hard to make it happen. I recommend you do push and if you don't get results, send me a private message and I'll help you push.

 

[TEG]

Some related reading:
The GFCI topic
EVDL Archive / Forum Interface - Electric Vehicle Discussion List

The Tesla Roadster charger is not isolated between the AC line and battery pack. Tesla designed it this way this to increase charging efficiency. This also means that any capacitance in the charger (which is combined with the controller aka PEM) and battery pack to chassis ground affects the leakage current. The car was designed for the standard 20 mA leakage allowed in the NEC 625 spec, but it seems some *redacted* companies have decided to use the 5mA household GFI curent limit value instead. I'm sure it saved some money but it does cause problems with charging a Roadster and other EV conversions that run non-isolated chargers as well.

The Model S and X use separate isolated chargers and I expect they will not have ground fault issues.

From the horse's mouth: NEC 625:

Traditional Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) for 60 Hertz systems trip at 5 milliamperes
(mA) when they detect a possible ground-fault current. This trip level avoids electric shock that can
result in any harmful effects including the effects starting at 5 mA (immobility of body muscles,
respiratory arrest) and the effects that could occur at 20 mA (ventricular fibrillation). However, these
GFCIs cannot differentiate between possible hazardous ground currents and harmless transient
currents on the utility distribution system (typically not greater than 20 mA). Therefore, traditional
GFCIs are subject to “nuisance tripping” if a harmless transient current above 5 mA occurs.
4
To remedy the situation, the personnel protection systems for EVSE use ground or isolation
monitoring, a circuit interrupting device, and basic, double, or reinforced insulation. Product safety
standards developed by UL specify what combinations of these devices can be used to meet
personnel protection requirements. For example, basic insulation and a traditional GFCI that trips at
5 mA can be still be used, but “nuisance” tripping may be a problem as explained above. To avoid
nuisance tripping problems, a 20 mA tripping circuit interrupting device can be used in conjunction
with double or reinforced insulation. A 20 mA tripping circuit interrupter can be used with basic
insulation also, but a ground monitoring device must be used as well. These combinations are
applicable to 240 volt or smaller systems.

 

[ViperDoc]

I'll bet you have a 2.x Roadster. The 2.x Roadster has a higher ground current pull at the beginning of a charge which can trip some hair-trigger charging stations. (SemaConnect, for example, possibly also Schneider and OpConnect.)

Amazingly, stations can choose to fault at either 5 mA or 20 mA. Both levels are quite safe, but the 5 mA limit is incompatible with the 2.x Roadsters. Clipper Creek, Blink, ChargePoint, and AeroVironment use the 20 mA threshold and are generally compatible with all Roadsters.

A few 2.x Roadster have exceptional issues with ground faults. Tesla has been reluctant to fix this problem, or even acknowledge it. Chad had a big problem and was getting blown off until he went public with the total lack of response from Tesla and cancelled his Model S order because of their complete disregard for customer service. Tesla can fix this problem by replacing your PEM, but you may have to push pretty hard to make it happen. I recommend you do push and if you don't get results, send me a private message and I'll help you push.

Thank you. Yes, I have a 2.5 Roadster, and the Coulomb stations were Chargepoints. The Nissan dealership was whatever they charge a Leaf with.

DJ